Fire-alarm system.



0. DE CHAMP.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. APPLIUITLON FILED 11.40.15A 11,110.

1,012,335. 1 PatenteiLDaj. 19, 1911.

unTTE sTaTne PATENT onrein OBED DE CHAMP, QF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DE CHAMP ELECTRIC i COv'IlAll'Y,` 0F EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

Specitlcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed December 15, 1910. Serial No. 597,433.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Onno Dn CHAMP, a citizen of the United States. residing at Everett. in the county ot' Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fire Alarm Systems; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to 'which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invcntionrelatcs to tire alarm signal systems in which an alarm is sounded corresponding to any box oi" the system which may be pulled or rung` in. As usually constructed these systems are provided with an electrically operated or controlled mechanism for sounding the alarm at the engine housevor stations on the circuit either directly or through relay mechanism at a central station. -t is necessary, therefore, for the firemen to wait until the number ot' the box has been once sounded before they can determine the location of the box and Whether or not the box rung in is one to which' they must respond. This delay frequently results in a serious loss which might 'have been avoidedhad the firemen reached the fire earlier.

It is the object of the present invention to avoid this delay, and to that end the invention contemplates providing the usual fire alarml system Witha supplemental electrically controlled mechanism for immediately and visually'indicating the number of the box rung .in the indicating mechanism rot which is operated in ringing in a box but is not dependent upon the operatihn of the mechanism which sounds the alarm. .Since the indicating devices of this supplemental mechanism operate to visuallv and immediately indicate the number of the box. the iremen may respond to the call Without waiting for the operation of the alarm sounding mechanism. The specific construetion of the supplemental indicatingf mechas nism. and the specific arrangement of the circuit and connections for operating it. are not material to the broader 'features of the invention. It is preferred, however` to employ a construction of iiidicating mechanism, and an arrangement of circuits and devices for controllingthe same. which are novel and which embody certain further features of invention.

The various features ot' the invention will be readily understood from an lnspectlon of ingr detailed description oi' the mechanism indicated and illustrated therein.

Tn the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic vieu' illustrating `a tire alarm system cmbodving the nresent invention in `its preferred form: Fig. Q is a sectional elevation of a novel torni o'l` indicating mechanism which it is preferred to employ in embodying the broader features ot the invention in a tire alarm system: and Fig. il is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. a part Aoi the linclosed casing being broken away.

In the system illustrated in Fig. 1 the mechanism tor sounding the alarm is indicated at 1, and two of the alarm boxes of the system are indicated at .2 and 3. The alarm boxes mav be of anv usual construc tion. and are connected in series by the circuit Wires 4 of the sounding;l mechanism in the usual mannerA The alarm circuit is the usual closed circuit. and each box is provided with the usual malte and break mechanism, indicated at 5. and with the usual lever or landlc 'l'or rino'ino in or pulling in the box. As thus far described the system is of the usual construction` and oncrates to sound an alarm at the stations and engine houses in the usual manner' whenever the lever or han dle of a box is dem-esscd and released.

'In order that the location of the box rung in may he irnmcdiatelxT indicated in the 'nroner engine house or houses. or at a ccnstation or stations is .so-connected with tbe boxes that it isoperatcd. to visually indicate a number corresnondinrr to .the numberl of the box Whenever a hox is rung in.

Tn the construction shown the various boxes are nrovided with cireuiiueloeng deindicator circuit. and are actuated to close the circuit in nnlling in the box. The circuit wire of the alarm circuit is nreierablv utilized as one of the line wires ot the indicator circuit. and the indicator circuit may be completed through a return wire. or through the ground. The circuit closiiur devices are indicated at 7. and are connected in parallel with the line wire 4'and the line wire or ,ground 8 bv cross-circuit Wires 9 and 10. The indicating mechanism shown the accompanying drawings and the followtral station. an indicating mechanism at the y vices which are connected in narallel in the at 11 is connected With the line wire 4 and With the ground or Wire 8 through Wires 12, .in one of which a battery .13 or other source of electric current is located. When any one of the levers 6 is depressed the corresponding circuit closing device 7 is operated to close the indicator circuit and the indicator is instantly operated. The indicati ing mechanism is so constructed that its operation vvill vary with the current passing through the circuit which Will in turn vary With the resistance in the circuit when it is closed by pulling in any particular alarm 'shaft is provided with a laterally projectingbox. n order that the proper variations in the current passing through'the indicator circuit may be secured, resistances 14 are included in the cross-circuits 9 and 10, and

thefmovement of a shaft 15 which is jour-v naled Within an inclosing casing 16. The

arm 17, and is held in normal position With the arm against a stop screw 18, by a spiral spring 19. The means for actuatin the shaft comprises a magnet 20 included 1n the indicator circuit, and an armature 21, the

iree end of which carries a hammer 22 arranged to strike a blow upon the arm 17 when the amature is attracted by the magnet. rlhe armature is held normally against l a stop screw 23 by a spring 24. The force of the blow struck by the hammer upon the arm 17, and therefore thedistance through which the shaft 15 is moved, Will vdepend upon the current passing through the magnet- 20 when the magnet is energized. Since the current passing through the indicatorcircuit varies in accordance With the box which is-rung in, the movement imparted to the sha-ft 15 'when the circuit is closed by ringing in a box will depend upon the box which is rung in. The indicating devices operated or controlled by `the movement or the shaft are so arranged that the movement of the shaft produced by the ringing in of any box causes a number corresponding to this Abox to be brought into view yor designated.. In the construction shown the indicating devices are 'directly operated by the, shaft, and consist of a disk 25, provided With a series of numbers arranged to be brought into register with an opening 26 formed in the casing 16 by the movements of the shaft 15. that it Will-be moved through the proper distance to bring the number correspondiiig to any given box into .registerl With/ the open- The disk is so calibratedv ing 26 when that box is rung in. In order that the number of the box may remainv in and a pawl 28 is arranged to engage-the teeth and prevent return movement of the- This pawl is mounted in disk and shaft. arock shaft 29 which is connected through an arm 30 to a spring pressed rod 31, the end of which projects through' the casing 16. By operating the rod 31 the pavvl 28 may be disengaged from the Wheel 27, so that the disk 25 may returnv to. initial position, thus resetting the indicating mechanism. When the pavvl 28 is disengaged from the Wheel 27, a second paWl 32 carried by the `shaft 29 is brought into engagement with the Wheel, and operates to prevent rebound of the shaft `15 when the arm 17 engages the stop screw 18. from the Wheel and the paWl 28 lre-ngaged therewith when the rod 31 is released.l

While it is preferred to employ the spe- 'cilicconstruction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it Will be understood This pawl is disengaged that this construction and arrangement is 4not essential to the broader featuresof/the invention, and may be varied and modified vvithout departing therefrom.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of apparatus inwhich it may be embodied, what I claim is :-f

1. A fire alarin" system, having, in combination, an alarm-sounding mechanism 'and call boxes connectedin series in thealarmcircuit, a supplemental indicator circuit, circuit closing devices at the call boxes connected in parallel in the supplemental circuit, a box indicating mechanism in the supplemental circuit and means Vfor simultaneously pulling in the boxes and operating the circuit closing devices, substantially as described.

. 2. A fire alarm system, having, in combination, an alarm sounding mechanism and call boxes connected in series in the alarm circuit, a supplemental indicator circuit, circuit closing devices at the call boxes connected` in parallel in the supplemental cir-A 4 cuitand arranged to'be o erated in pulling inthe boxes, and. a box indicating mecha.

nism in the supplemental circuit, :substantially as described. y

3. A lire alarm system, having, in combination, aigalarm sounding mechanism and call boxes connected in series in an alarm circuit, a supplemental indicator circuit, indicating mechanism in the circuit the operation of which varies with the current pass ing therethrough, circuit closing devices at the call boxes connected in parallel'in the supplemental circuit, varying resistancesI connected in series with the circuit closing devices at the call boxes and means for simultaneouslj7 pulling in the boxes and operating the circuit closing devices, substantially as described.

4. A lire alarm system, having, in combination, an alarm sounding mechanism, a plurality of call boxes, the Sounding mechanism being connected in circuit with the several call boxes and arranged to sound the number of the call box which is operated, and an indicating mechanism connected in ci'rcuit With the several call boxes and arranged to be operated in pulling in the boxes to show the designating character of the particular call box which is operated, substantially as described.

5. A fire alarm system, having, in combina# tion, an alarm soundingmechanism, a plu# ralityv of call boxes, the sounding mechanism being connected in circuit with the call boxes and arranged to sound the number of the call box which is operated, a supplemental indicator circuit, an indicator mechanism in the supplemental circuit comprising an electrical magnet, an armature, :immovable device to which the armature imparts an impulse when attracted by the magnet, designating devices the operation of which depends upon `the movement imparted to the movable device` circuit closing devices at the call boxes connected in parallel in the supplemental circuit and arranged to be operated in pulling in the boxes, substantially as described.

6. A lire alarm system, having, in combination, an alarm sounding mechanism, a plurality of call boxes, the sounding mechanism beiner connected in circuit with the several call Iboxes and arranged to sound the number of the call box which is operated, and an indicating mechanism electricallyT connected to the several call boxes and arranged to be operated in pulling in the boxes to show the designating character of the particular call box which is operated, substantially as described.

7. A fire alarm system, having, in combination,an alarm sounding mechanism and call boxes connected in series in the alarm circuit, a supplemental indicating mechanism connected with the alarm circuit and with an independent electric conductor, circuit closing devices at the call boxes arranged to be operated in pulling in the box and connected in parallel With the alarm circuit and said independent conductor, substantially as described.

OBED DE CHAMP. Wi tnesses NE'rriE D. MCPHAIL, WARREN Gr. OGDEN. 

